Tennis expert (talk | contribs) →Singles performance timeline: update |
Musiclover565 (talk | contribs) As BanRay as yet to provide a legitimate reason for why these edits are apparently not allowed, I'm going ahead with them. Others are more than entitled to edit statements they feel are uncited or POV |
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| singlesrecord = 280-66 |
| singlesrecord = 280-66 |
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| singlestitles = 17 |
| singlestitles = 17 |
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| highestsinglesranking = No.1 ([[August 22]], [[2005]]) |
| highestsinglesranking = No. 1 ([[August 22]], [[2005]]) |
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| AustralianOpenresult = '''W''' (2008) |
| AustralianOpenresult = '''W''' (2008) |
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| FrenchOpenresult = SF (2007) |
| FrenchOpenresult = SF (2007) |
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|title=The Highest Paid Female Athlete On The Planet; Why Sharapova Is So Hot|work=ABC News|first=John|last=Martin|date=[[September 7]], [[2006]]|accessdate=2006-09-07}}</ref> |
|title=The Highest Paid Female Athlete On The Planet; Why Sharapova Is So Hot|work=ABC News|first=John|last=Martin|date=[[September 7]], [[2006]]|accessdate=2006-09-07}}</ref> |
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Sharapova has won three [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] singles titles. In 2004, she beat [[Serena Williams]] to take the [[2004 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] title at the age of 17. |
Sharapova has won three [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] singles titles. In 2004, she beat [[Serena Williams]] to take the [[2004 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] title at the age of 17. Since then, she has won the [[2006 U.S. Open (tennis)|2006 U.S. Open]] (defeating [[Justine Henin]] in the final) and the [[2008 Australian Open]] (defeating [[Ana Ivanović]] in the final). She was also the runner-up at the [[2007 Australian Open]]. |
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At 6'2", Sharapova is one of the tallest women currently in the women's game. Only [[Lindsay Davenport]] has been a taller Grand Slam champion in the 21st century. Sharapova is pronounced in Russia with the second syllable stressed, but English-speakers often stress the third syllable. |
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She first played for Russia on [[February 2]], [[2008]], against [[Israel]]. |
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==Playing style== |
==Playing style== |
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Sharapova has been labeled as |
Sharapova has been labeled as an [[offensive baseliner]] by tennis critics and fans.<ref>[http://tennis.about.com/od/playersfemale/a/sharapovagp.htm Maria Sharapova - Tennis Game Profile]</ref> She is noted for having an excellent double-handed backhand and serves, particularly for the power and placement of these shots. She is also noted for having a good forehand. Likewise, critics claim that for her height, Sharapova has decent agility on-court.<ref>[http://tennis.about.com/od/playersfemale/a/sharapovagp.htm Maria Sharapova - Tennis Game Profile]</ref> Being an offensive player, Sharapova is usually able to overpower her opponents or keep them on the run with sharp angles from the baseline. Because of this agressive play, she excels on the fast-playing grass and hard courts, but is not as dangerous on clay (indeed, as of January 2008, she is yet to reach a WTA final on the surface). This is because she is not among the strongest of defensive players. She can lose precision on her groundstrokes when she is put on the run herself, a weakness that the best all-around players will exploit. Sharapova is also not a natural volleyer. Instead, she typically uses a powerful "swinging" volley for net approaches. Sharapova usually serves for placement, but uses enough power on her first and second serve that attacking that stroke is very difficult for her opponents. She has been trying to develop her "all-power" game, while also adding in slice, drop shots and drop volleys. |
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Due to shoulder injuries, after Wimbledon 2007, Sharapova adopted a new service action with a shorter backswing. Her first and second serve became less effective during the majority of the 2007 season. Previously, she had an elongated backswing to generate power on her serve. However, as a trade-off, the swing also placed incredible strain on her shoulder, leading to Sharapova's shoulder injury at the beginning of the 2007 season. With her shoulder injury apparently healed, Sharapova has since returned to her elongated service motion, and her serve has been more effective in 2008. |
Due to shoulder injuries, after Wimbledon 2007, Sharapova adopted a new service action with a shorter backswing. Her first and second serve became less effective during the majority of the 2007 season. Previously, she had an elongated backswing to generate power on her serve. However, as a trade-off, the swing also placed incredible strain on her shoulder, leading to Sharapova's shoulder injury at the beginning of the 2007 season. With her shoulder injury apparently healed, Sharapova has since returned to her elongated service motion, and her serve has been more effective in 2008. |
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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===2003: Early promise=== |
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Having turned professional in 2001, though mainly playing on the ITF Circuit for her first two years, Sharapova hit the WTA Tour full-time in 2003. She qualified for both the [[2003 Australian Open|Australian Open]] and [[2003 French Open|French Open]], though lost in the first round in both. Her first taste of real success came at [[2003 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]]; having been issued a wildcard, the 16-year-old progressed to the fourth round, defeating 11th seed [[Jelena Dokic]] en route, but then lost a tight match to compatriot [[Svetlana Kuznetsova]]. |
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Sharapova then won her first title at the Tier III tournament in [[Japan Open Tennis Championships|Tokyo]], becoming the youngest WTA titlist of the year<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/australian_open_2004/3307651.stm Maria Sharapova profile (Jan 2004)]</ref> and followed this up by winning another Tier III tournament in [[Bell Challenge|Quebec City]]. She finished a very successful first full year on the tour ranked 32nd, and was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year. |
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===2004=== |
===2004: Breakthrough year=== |
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[[Image:Maria Sharapova Wimbledon 2004.jpg|250px|left|thumb|Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004.]] |
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Sharapova reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the [[2004 French Open]], where she lost to [[Paola Suarez]]. Immediately afterwards, she seized her third title at [[DFS Classic|Birmingham]], a grass-court Wimbledon warm-up event. |
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⚫ | The 17-year-old Sharapova went into [[2004 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] as the thirteenth seed, but tipped by some to perhaps cause some upsets <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/3843219.stm Sharapova's chance to shine]</ref>. She made it to her second straight Grand Slam quarterfinal, where she defeated [[Ai Sugiyama]] 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, and then upset former world number one [[Lindsay Davenport]] 2-6, 7-6, 6-1 in the semifinals. She faced two-time defending champion [[Serena Williams]] in the final, with Williams the runaway favorite<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/3858047.stm Sharapova is tough nut to crack]</ref>; however, Sharapova defeated Williams 6-1, 6-4, to become the third-youngest Wimbledon women's champion (after [[Lottie Dod]] and [[Martina Hingis]]) and second-youngest in the open era, the first Russian to win that tournament and the lowest seed to win the women's event at that time (though [[Venus Williams]] would be seeded lower on her championship wins in 2005 and 2007). |
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Sharapova started the year by reaching the third round of the [[Australian Open]], where she lost to seventh-seeded [[Anastasia Myskina]] 6-4, 1-6, 6-2. The week after the Australian Open, Sharapova lost in the second round of the Tier I [[Toray Pan Pacific Open]] in [[Tokyo]] to [[Daniela Hantuchova]]. She then returned to the United States for three [[hard court]] tournaments, reaching the semifinals in [[Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup|Memphis]], the fourth round at the Tier I [[Pacific Life Open]] in [[Indian Wells, California]], and the fourth round of the Tier I [[Sony Ericsson Open]] in [[Key Biscayne, Florida]]. |
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⚫ | At the [[2004 U.S. Open (tennis)|2004 U.S. Open]] a few months later, she lost to French player and two-time Grand Slam champion [[Mary Pierce]] in the third round. During the tournament, Sharapova and several other Russian women tennis players wore a black ribbon in observance of the tragedy after the [[Beslan school hostage crisis]] which took place only a few days before. <ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/usopen04/news/story?id=1874900 Sharapova puts loss in perspective]</ref> |
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During the spring [[clay court]] season leading up to the [[2004 French Open|French Open]], Sharapova lost in the third round at both [[Qatar Telecom German Open|Berlin]] and [[Rome Masters|Rome]], which were both Tier I events. At the French Open, Sharapova reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament for the first time in her career, losing to [[Paola Suarez]] 6-1, 6-3. |
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Sharapova continued her successful season by winning a title in [[Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships|Korea]], defending her [[Japan Open Tennis Championships|Tokyo]] title, and reaching her first Tier I final in [[Zurich Open|Zurich]]. She ended 2004 with a victory at the season-ending [[WTA Championships]], defeating an injured Serena Williams (4-6, 6-2, 6-4) after coming back from 0-4 in the final set. |
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The tour then switched to [[grass court]]s in the lead up to [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]]. In [[DFS Classic|Birmingham]], Sharapova defeated [[Tatiana Golovin]] to win the title. |
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⚫ | Sharapova finished 2004 ranked fourth in the world and the second-ranked Russian (behind [[Anastasia Myskina]]). She won five titles during the year, trailing only Lindsay Davenport's seven, and equal to [[Justine Henin-Hardenne]] and [[Amelie Mauresmo]]. Sharapova also topped the prizewinnings list for the women that season. |
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⚫ | The 17-year-old Sharapova went into Wimbledon as the thirteenth seed. She |
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During the North American summer hard court season leading up to the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|U.S. Open]], Sharapova played three tournaments. She lost to Myskina in the quarterfinals of the Tier I tournament in [[Acura Classic|San Diego]]. She lost to [[Vera Zvonareva]] in the third round of the Tier I tournament in [[Rogers Cup|Montreal]]. And she lost in the second round of the tournament in [[Pilot Pen Tennis|New Haven]]. |
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⚫ | At the U.S. Open, |
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Sharapova then played three tournaments in Asia. She lost to [[Svetlana Kuznetsova]] in the semifinals of the [[China Open (tennis)|China Open]] in [[Beijing]]. During the next two weeks, Sharapova won the Tier IV tournament in [[Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships|Seoul, South Korea]] and successfully defended her [[Japan Open Tennis Championships|Tokyo]] title. |
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Before returning to the United States, Sharapova reached her first Tier I final in [[Zurich Open|Zurich]], losing to [[Alicia Molik]]. At the Tier II tournament in [[Advanta Championships Philadelphia|Philadelphia]], Sharapova reached the semifinals before defaulting her match to [[Amelie Mauresmo]]. Sharapova then ended the year by winning the [[WTA Tour Championships]]. She defeated an injured Serena Williams in the final after being down 4-0 in the final set. After losing to Sharapova in a semifinal of this event, Myskina said: "He [Sharapova's father] was just yelling and screaming instructions to her and I thought he just might jump right on the court at one point in the match." |
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[[Image:Maria Sharapova Indian Wells 2005.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Maria Sharapova at Indian Wells in 2005.]] |
[[Image:Maria Sharapova Indian Wells 2005.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Maria Sharapova at Indian Wells in 2005.]] |
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Sharapova started the year by reaching the semifinals of the [[2005 Australian Open|Australian Open]], where she lost to eventual champion [[Serena Williams]] 2-6, 7-5, 8-6, despite holding three match points. |
Sharapova started the year by reaching the semifinals of the [[2005 Australian Open|Australian Open]], where she lost to eventual champion [[Serena Williams]] 2-6, 7-5, 8-6, despite holding three match points in the match. In February, she won her first [[WTA Tier I Events|Tier I]] event in [[Toray Pan Pacific Open|Tokyo]], and followed this up with success in [[Qatar Total Open|Doha]]. |
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⚫ | After reaching the French Open quarterfinals for the second straight year (losing to eventual champion [[Justine Henin-Hardenne]]), Sharapova successfully defended her Birmingham title, defeating [[Jelena Janković]] in the final to extend her winning streak on grass to 17 matches. She then moved on to the task of defending her Wimbledon title where she reached the semifinals without losing a set, but then was well beaten by a rejuvenated [[Venus Williams]], the eventual champion, 7-6, 6-1. Sharapova's 22-match streak on grass was ended, as was her quest to dethrone top-ranked [[Lindsay Davenport]]. |
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In February, Sharapova won her first [[WTA Tier I Events|Tier 1]] event in [[Toray Pan Pacific Open|Tokyo]]. Three weeks later, she won the tournament in [[Qatar Total Open|Doha]]. To complete the spring [[hard court]] season, Sharapova reached the semifinals of the Tier I [[Pacific Life Open]] in [[Indian Wells, California]] and the final of the Tier I [[Sony Ericsson Open]] in [[Key Biscayne, Florida]]. |
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⚫ | However, Davenport injured her back in the Wimbledon final, preventing her from defending the ranking points she obtained during the [[U.S. Open Series|U.S. hard-court season]] of 2004. Sharapova had fewer points to defend and therefore rose to the No. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005, becoming the first Russian woman to hold the position. Her reign lasted only one week, however, as Davenport re-ascended to the top ranking after winning the title in [[Pilot Pen Tennis|New Haven]]. |
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Sharapova participated in two of the [[clay court]] tune-ups for the [[French Open]]. She lost in the quarterfinals of the [[Qatar Telecom German Open]] in [[Berlin]] to [[Justine Henin]] and the semifinals of the [[Internazionali BNL d'Italia|Italian Open]] in [[Rome]] to [[Patty Schnyder]]. At the French Open, Sharapova lost in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year, falling to Henin, the eventual champion. |
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⚫ | As the top seed at the [[2005 U.S. Open (tennis)|U.S. Open]], Sharapova reached the semifinals, losing to eventual champion [[Kim Clijsters]]. This meant that she had lost to the eventual champion at all four Grand Slam events that year. Nevertheless, the points accumulated meant she once again leapfrogged Davenport to take the No. 1 ranking again on September 12, 2005. She kept the No. 1 ranking for six weeks before relinquishing it again to Davenport following the 2005 [[Zurich Open]]. |
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⚫ | Sharapova failed to defend her title at the WTA Championships, losing in the semifinals to eventual champion [[Amelie Mauresmo]], but she still finished the year ranked number four again, and as the top-ranked Russian for the first time. She won three titles during the year, and was the only player that year to make it to three Grand Slam semi-finals. |
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Sharapova failed to defend her title at the season-ending [[WTA Tour Championships]], losing in the semifinals to eventual champion [[Amelie Mauresmo]]. |
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===2006=== |
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===2006: A second major title=== |
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[[Image:Sharapova061021-01.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Maria Sharapova at the [[Zurich Open]] 2006]] |
[[Image:Sharapova061021-01.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Maria Sharapova at the [[Zurich Open]] 2006]] |
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Sharapova started the year by going out in the semi-finals of the [[2006 Australian Open|Australian Open]], losing to [[Justine Henin-Hardenne]] 4-6 6-1 6-4, the only match that year that Sharapova lost after winning the first set. She then won her first title of the year at the Tier I tournament in [[Indian Wells Masters|Indian Wells]], before moving onto [[Miami Masters|Miami]], where she had the chance to become just the third woman in history to win the Indian Wells-Miami double, but lost to [[Svetlana Kuznetsova]] in the final. |
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A serious ankle injury forced Sharapova to miss most of the clay court season, and as a result, she played at the [[2006 French Open]] without having played any of the tune-ups. She was eliminated by [[Dinara Safina]] in the fourth round 7-5 2-6 7-5, after serving for the match twice. On grass, Sharapova failed to add a third consecutive [[DFS Classic|Birmingham]] title to her collection, but was nevertheless considered the title favourite by many <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/5086960.stm#sharapova Women to watch at Wimbledon (2006)]</ref> at [[2006 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]]; however, she lost in the semifinals to world number one and eventual champion [[Amelie Mauresmo]]. It marked Sharapova’s fifth consecutive defeat in a Grand Slam semifinal. |
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Sharapova claimed her first title of 2006 and eleventh of her career at the [[Tier I]] [[Pacific Life Open]] in [[Indian Wells, California]]. She defeated fourth-seeded [[Elena Dementieva]] in the final 6-1, 6-2. |
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Sharapova then lost in the final of the Tier I [[Miami Masters|Sony Ericsson Open]] to [[Svetlana Kuznetsova]]. |
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Sharapova went into the [[2006 U.S. Open (tennis)|U.S. Open]] seeded third after Clijsters dropped out with a wrist injury. She made the quarterfinals without dropping a set, before defeating [[Tatiana Golovin]] 7-6 7-6. She then defeated Mauresmo for the first time in the semifinals with a score of 6-0 4-6 6-0 to make her second Grand Slam final, before defeating number two Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4 6-4 in the final to collect her second Grand Slam title and join the list of eight players who had defeated the top two players en route to a Grand Slam title. |
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Sharapova participated at the [[2006 French Open|French Open]] without having played any of the [[clay court]] tune-ups because of injury. After saving three match points in the first round against [[Mashona Washington]], Sharapova was eliminated in the fourth round by [[Dinara Safina]] 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, after Sharapova led 5-1 in the third set. Sharapova lost 18 of the match's last 21 points. |
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Sharapova collected two titles back-to-back in the indoors season: in [[Zurich Open|Zurich]] and in [[Generali Ladies Linz|Linz]]. She then moved onto the [[2006 WTA Tour Championships|WTA Tour Championships]], where she won all three of her round-robin matches (against Kim Clijsters, [[Elena Dementieva]] and Svetlana Kuznetsova) in straight sets to extend her winning streak to 19 matches. However, she was then defeated in the semifinals by eventual champion Henin-Hardenne 6-2 7-6. She finished the year at number two and, for the second year, as the top Russian player. During the year, she won five titles (second only to Henin-Hardenne's six), including three Tier I titles, more than any other player. |
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Sharapova then started the [[grass court]] season but failed to add a third successive [[DFS Classic|Birmingham]] title to her collection, losing in the semifinals to American [[Jamea Jackson]]. At [[2006 Wimbledon|Wimbledon]], Sharapova was defeated in the semifinals for the second consecutive year, losing to eventual winner and World No. 1 [[Amélie Mauresmo]] 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. |
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===2007: Mixed results=== |
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⚫ | Sharapova claimed her second title of |
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Sharapova was the third-seed at the [[2006 U.S. Open (tennis)|U.S. Open]]. She defeated [[Tatiana Golovin]] 7-6, 7-6 in the quarterfinals before defeating Mauresmo in a semifinal 6-0, 4-6, 6-0. Sharapova then prevailed over second-ranked Henin in the final 6-4, 6-4 to win her second [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] singles title, having dropped just one set en route and joining the list of eight players who had beaten the top two players in the world to win a Grand Slam singles title.{{Fact|date=January 2008}} |
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Sharapova then won two tournaments in consecutive weeks. At the Tier I [[Zurich Open]], Sharapova defeated [[Daniela Hantuchová]] in the final. At the [[Generali Ladies Linz]], Sharapova beat fellow Russian and defending champion [[Nadia Petrova]] to take her fifth title of 2006 and the 15th title of her career. |
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Until her loss in the semifinals of the [[2006 WTA Tour Championships|WTA Tour Championships]] to Henin, Sharapova had won 19 consecutive matches. She finished the year at World No. 2 and, for the second year, as the top Russian player. During the year, she compiled a 59-9 record and won five titles (second only to Henin's six), including three Tier I titles, more than any other player. |
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===2007=== |
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[[Image:Maria Sharapova 2007 Australian Open R2.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open in 2007.]] |
[[Image:Maria Sharapova 2007 Australian Open R2.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open in 2007.]] |
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As the top seed at the [[2007 Australian Open|Australian Open]] (due to [[Justine Henin]]'s withdrawal), Sharapova reached the final at the tournament for the first time, but then was crushed 6-1 6-2 by [[Serena Williams]], ranked 81st at the time. However, Sharapova's run to the final allowed her to recapture the world number one spot, holding it for seven weeks before a fourth round loss at [[Pacific Life Open|Indian Wells]] saw her hand the position back to Henin. |
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Sharapova reached the final of the [[JB Group Classic]], an exhibition tournament in [[Hong Kong]], where she was defeated by [[Kim Clijsters]] 6-3, 7-6(8). |
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Sharapova was the top seed at the [[2007 Australian Open|Australian Open]] because of World No. 1 [[Justine Henin|Justine Henin's]] withdrawal. Sharapova defeated the 62nd-ranked [[Camille Pin]] in the first round 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 on her fourth match point in air temperatures that exceeded 40 °C (104 °F) and on-court temperatures that exceeded 50 °C (122 °F). In the semifinals, Sharapova defeated fourth-seeded Clijsters to reach her first Australian Open final and gain the opportunity to win the only [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] singles title that a Russian woman had not yet won. However, [[Serena Williams]], ranked World No. 81, overpowered Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in the final. Reaching the final allowed Sharapova to recapture the World No. 1 ranking. |
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Partly due to hamstring and shoulder injuries that reduced the effectiveness of her serve, Sharapova did not win any of her next three tournaments. At the [[Tier I]] [[Toray Pan Pacific Open]] in [[Tokyo]], Sharapova retired from her semifinal match with [[Ana Ivanović]]. At the Tier I [[Pacific Life Open]] in [[Indian Wells, California]], Sharapova lost to [[Vera Zvonareva]] in the fourth round 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 after Sharapova lead 5-4 in the second set. This loss resulted in her losing the World No. 1 ranking. In the fourth round of the Tier I [[Sony Ericsson Open]] in [[Key Biscayne, Florida]], Sharapova lost to Serena Williams for the second consecutive time 6-1, 6-1. In the third round of that tournament, Sharapova had beaten [[Venus Williams]] 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. |
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Injuries forced Sharapova to miss most the [[clay court]] season for the second consecutive year. Her only tune-up for the [[French Open]] was the [[Istanbul Cup]], where she lost to Frenchwoman [[Aravane Rezaï]] in the semifinals 6-2, 6-4. She then reached the semifinals of the French Open for the first time in her career (saving a match point against [[Patty Schnyder]] in the fourth round), but fell to Ivanović 6-2, 6-1. |
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On [[grass court|grass]] at the [[DFS Classic]] in [[Birmingham, United Kingdom]], Sharapova lost in the final to second seeded [[Jelena Janković]] 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. At [[2007 Wimbledon|Wimbledon]], Sharapova lost to Venus Williams in the fourth round 6-1, 6-3. |
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Sharapova's first summer hardcourt tournament was the Tier I [[Acura Classic]] in [[San Diego, California]], where she was the defending champion. She progressed to the final relatively easily, showing few of the serving problems that had dogged her all year. In the final, she defeated eleventh-seeded Schnyder 6-2, 3-6, 6-0, claiming her first title of the year, fifth Tier I title of her career, and the 16th singles title of her career. |
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At the [[JPMorgan Chase Open|East West Bank Classic]] in [[Los Angeles]], a shin injury caused Sharapova to withdraw from her semifinal match with fellow Russian [[Nadia Petrova]] shortly before the match started. Nevertheless, she clinched the [[US Open Series]] for the first time. |
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Seeded second at the [[2007 U.S. Open]], Sharapova won her first two matches with the loss of only two games but then lost her third round match to 18-year-old Pole [[Agnieszka Radwańska]] 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, partly due to poor serving and a host of unforced errors. It was Sharapova's earliest exit at a Grand Slam singles tournament since she lost in the same round at the [[2004 U.S. Open]]. |
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Sharapova did not play again until the Tier I [[Kremlin Cup]] in Moscow in October, where she lost to [[Victoria Azarenka]] of Belarus in the second round, 7-6(9), 6-2 (after a first-round bye). The recurring shoulder problem then forced Sharapova to withdraw from events in [[Zurich Open|Zurich]] and [[Generali Ladies Linz|Linz]], at both of which she was the defending champion. |
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A shoulder injury would plague the majority of Sharapova's 2007 season, initially forcing her to miss most of the clay court season. She went into the [[2007 French Open|French Open]] having played just one warm-up tournament (in [[Istanbul Cup|Istanbul]], where she reached the semifinals), but registered her best performance at the tournament to date, reaching the semifinals before losing 6-2 6-1 to [[Ana Ivanovic]]. She then moved onto the British grass season, and, after losing in the final at [[DFS Classic|Birmingham]], was defeated in the fourth round at [[2007 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] by eventual champion [[Venus Williams]] 6-1 6-3. |
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Sharapova qualified for the [[2007 WTA Tour Championships|WTA Tour Championships]] only because Venus Williams withdrew from the tournament. Playing only her second match in two months, Sharapova beat World No. 9 [[Daniela Hantuchová]] 6-4, 7-5 in her first round-robin match, before coming from a set down to defeat World No. 2 [[Svetlana Kuznetsova]] 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 to ensure a place in the semifinals. In her final round robin match, Sharapova defeated Ivanović 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour. As the winner of the Red Group, Sharapova then played the runner-up of the Yellow Group, [[Anna Chakvetadze]], in the semifinals. Sharapova won that match 6-2, 6-2. In the final, Sharapova lost to World No. 1 Henin 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in a match that lasted 3 hours and 24 minutes. This was the 12th longest tour match during the [[open era]].{{Fact|date=January 2008}} |
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After a short break due to her persistent shoulder problems, Sharapova claimed her first (and what would prove to be only) title of 2007 at the last ever edition of the [[Acura Classic]] in San Diego. A run to the semifinals in [[JPMorgan Chase Open|Los Angeles]] was enough for Sharapova to clinch the [[U.S. Open Series]] for the first time. Seeded second at the [[2007 U.S. Open]], Sharapova was placed in the more favorable bottom half of the draw, and as such, was widely expected to reach the final <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/6959287.stm Henman handed tough US Open draw]</ref>, but ultimately lost in the third round to 18-year-old Pole [[Agnieszka Radwanska]] 6-4 1-6 6-2, her earliest exit at a Grand Slam in three years. |
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⚫ | Sharapova ended the year as |
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Due to yet another recurrence of the shoulder injury, Sharapova played just one match over the next two months, a defeat to [[Victoria Azarenka]] in [[Kremlin Cup|Moscow]]. In October, Sharapova fell out of the top five on the rankings for the first time since 2004. Going into the [[2007 WTA Tour Championships]], she placed just ninth on the Race rankings, and was only awarded qualification to the tournament due to Venus Williams's withdrawal. However, Sharapova confounded expectations<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7089685.stm Superb Henin retains Madrid title]</ref> by making the final at the tournament, with wins over [[Daniela Hantuchova]], [[Svetlana Kuznetsova]], Ana Ivanovic and [[Anna Chakvetadze]] en route. She then lost to Justine Henin 5-7 7-5 6-3, in a match lasting 3 hours, 24 minutes, the 12th longest women's match in the open era. |
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===2008=== |
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⚫ | Sharapova ended the year as number five on the official [[Women's Tennis Association|WTA]] tour rankings, the fourth consecutive year that she finished in the top five. However, for the first time since 2004, she did not finish the year as the top ranked Russian. Kuznetsova, who finished World No. 2, held that honor. Sharapova also won just one title (at San Diego), the first time she had failed to win at least two titles since 2002 (when she played just three WTA matches). |
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After beating [[Anna Chakvetadze]] in an exhibition match in [[Singapore]], Sharapova reached the final of the [[JB Group Classic]] exhibition tournament in [[Hong Kong]], where she lost to [[Venus Williams]] in the final 6-4, 6-3. |
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===2008: A third major title=== |
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Sharapova was the fifth seed at the [[2008 Australian Open|Australian Open]], her lowest seeding at a [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] singles tournament since the [[2004 U.S. Open]].{{Fact|date=January 2008}} On the way to the quarterfinals, Sharapova defeated [[Lindsay Davenport]] in the second round<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7191273.stm Sharapova breezes past Davenport]</ref> and [[Elena Dementieva]] in the fourth round. In the quarterfinals, Sharapova defeated World No. 1 [[Justine Henin]] 6-4, 6-0,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7201953.stm Brilliant Sharapova hammers Henin]</ref> snapping Henin's 32-match winning streak. Sharapova then won her third consecutive Grand Slam semifinal and reached her second consecutive [[Australian Open]] final when she defeated an injured [[Jelena Janković]] 6-3, 6-1. She defeated [[Ana Ivanović]] 7-5, 6-3 in the final, dropping only 10 service points during the match.<ref>[http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/scores/stats/day18/2701ms.html Australian Open Match Statistics]</ref> Sharapova now needs just the [[French Open]] to complete a career [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] in singles. |
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Sharapova went into the [[2008 Australian Open]] as the fifth seed, but as one of the favourites to take the title after her strong end-of-season showing. She reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set, where she then snapped world number one [[Justine Henin]]'s 32-match winning streak with a 6-4, 6-0 victory, before reaching her second consecutive final in Melbourne and fourth Grand Slam final overall with a 6-3, 6-1 win over third seed [[Jelena Janković]]. She then defeated fourth seed [[Ana Ivanović]] 7-5, 6-3 in the finals, having dropped just 10 points on serve in the match <ref>[http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/scores/stats/day18/2701ms.html Australian Open 2008 Final Statistics]</ref>, and thus becoming the first Russian woman to take this title, and marking the first time Sharapova had won a Grand Slam without dropping a set. |
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After the Australian Open, Sharapova participated for the first time in [[Fed Cup]] for [[Russia]]. In the quarterfinal tie against Israel, Sharapova won her singles matches, first against [[Tzipora Obziler]] (6-0, 6-4) and then against [[Shahar Peer]] (6-1, 6-1), helping Russia to reach the semifinals. |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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'''2008 Australian Open quarterfinal:''' defeated Henin 6-4, 6-0. Henin was the World No. 1, but Sharapova won her third victory in nine meetings with Henin. The win snapped Henin's 32-match winning streak and marked the first time Henin had suffered a "[[Bagel (tennis)|bagel]]" set since 2002. It also marked the first time since 2005 that Henin had lost in a Grand Slam tournament before the semifinals. |
'''2008 Australian Open quarterfinal:''' defeated Henin 6-4, 6-0. Henin was the World No. 1, but Sharapova won her third victory in nine meetings with Henin. The win snapped Henin's 32-match winning streak and marked the first time Henin had suffered a "[[Bagel (tennis)|bagel]]" set since 2002. It also marked the first time since 2005 that Henin had lost in a Grand Slam tournament before the semifinals. |
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'''2008 Australian Open final:''' defeated [[Ana Ivanović]] 7-5, 6-3, to take her third Grand Slam title. Sharapova was the first Russian woman to take the title, and also, the first woman to take the title without dropping a set since [[Lindsay Davenport]] in 2000. This match is also notable for the fact that Sharapova dropped a mere 10 points on serve, and was broken just once. |
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==References== |
==References== |
Revision as of 18:52, 4 February 2008
![]() | |
Country (sports) | ![]() |
---|---|
Residence | Bradenton, Florida, U.S. |
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] |
Turned pro | April 19, 2001 |
Plays | Right-handed; two-handed backhand |
Prize money | US$11,376,478 |
Singles | |
Career record | 280-66 |
Career titles | 17 |
Highest ranking | No. 1 (August 22, 2005) |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Australian Open | W (2008) |
French Open | SF (2007) |
Wimbledon | W (2004) |
US Open | W (2006) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 23-16 |
Career titles | 3 |
Highest ranking | 41 (June 14, 2004) |
Last updated on: January 26, 2008. |
Maria Yuryevna Sharápova (Russian: Мари́я Ю́рьевна Шара́пова ) (born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. As of November 19, 2007, she is the fifth-ranked female player in the world. At the end of 2006, she was the world's highest-paid female athlete.[2]
Sharapova has won three Grand Slam singles titles. In 2004, she beat Serena Williams to take the Wimbledon title at the age of 17. Since then, she has won the 2006 U.S. Open (defeating Justine Henin in the final) and the 2008 Australian Open (defeating Ana Ivanović in the final). She was also the runner-up at the 2007 Australian Open.
At 6'2", Sharapova is one of the tallest women currently in the women's game. Only Lindsay Davenport has been a taller Grand Slam champion in the 21st century. Sharapova is pronounced in Russia with the second syllable stressed, but English-speakers often stress the third syllable.
Playing style
Sharapova has been labeled as an offensive baseliner by tennis critics and fans.[3] She is noted for having an excellent double-handed backhand and serves, particularly for the power and placement of these shots. She is also noted for having a good forehand. Likewise, critics claim that for her height, Sharapova has decent agility on-court.[4] Being an offensive player, Sharapova is usually able to overpower her opponents or keep them on the run with sharp angles from the baseline. Because of this agressive play, she excels on the fast-playing grass and hard courts, but is not as dangerous on clay (indeed, as of January 2008, she is yet to reach a WTA final on the surface). This is because she is not among the strongest of defensive players. She can lose precision on her groundstrokes when she is put on the run herself, a weakness that the best all-around players will exploit. Sharapova is also not a natural volleyer. Instead, she typically uses a powerful "swinging" volley for net approaches. Sharapova usually serves for placement, but uses enough power on her first and second serve that attacking that stroke is very difficult for her opponents. She has been trying to develop her "all-power" game, while also adding in slice, drop shots and drop volleys.
Due to shoulder injuries, after Wimbledon 2007, Sharapova adopted a new service action with a shorter backswing. Her first and second serve became less effective during the majority of the 2007 season. Previously, she had an elongated backswing to generate power on her serve. However, as a trade-off, the swing also placed incredible strain on her shoulder, leading to Sharapova's shoulder injury at the beginning of the 2007 season. With her shoulder injury apparently healed, Sharapova has since returned to her elongated service motion, and her serve has been more effective in 2008.
Sharapova is ambidextrous and played left-handed until she was ten years old, before deciding to play right-handed. Although she almost always employs a right-handed forehand and double-handed backhand, she has one of the most accurate double-handed backhand shots and is known to occasionally hit left-handed shots as a result of her early left-handed training. She is also renowned for her on-court "grunting," reaching 101 decibels (the volume of a police siren) during a match at Wimbledon 2005.[5]
Career
2003: Early promise
Having turned professional in 2001, though mainly playing on the ITF Circuit for her first two years, Sharapova hit the WTA Tour full-time in 2003. She qualified for both the Australian Open and French Open, though lost in the first round in both. Her first taste of real success came at Wimbledon; having been issued a wildcard, the 16-year-old progressed to the fourth round, defeating 11th seed Jelena Dokic en route, but then lost a tight match to compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Sharapova then won her first title at the Tier III tournament in Tokyo, becoming the youngest WTA titlist of the year[6] and followed this up by winning another Tier III tournament in Quebec City. She finished a very successful first full year on the tour ranked 32nd, and was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year.
2004: Breakthrough year
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Maria_Sharapova_Wimbledon_2004.jpg/250px-Maria_Sharapova_Wimbledon_2004.jpg)
Sharapova reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the 2004 French Open, where she lost to Paola Suarez. Immediately afterwards, she seized her third title at Birmingham, a grass-court Wimbledon warm-up event.
The 17-year-old Sharapova went into Wimbledon as the thirteenth seed, but tipped by some to perhaps cause some upsets [7]. She made it to her second straight Grand Slam quarterfinal, where she defeated Ai Sugiyama 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, and then upset former world number one Lindsay Davenport 2-6, 7-6, 6-1 in the semifinals. She faced two-time defending champion Serena Williams in the final, with Williams the runaway favorite[8]; however, Sharapova defeated Williams 6-1, 6-4, to become the third-youngest Wimbledon women's champion (after Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis) and second-youngest in the open era, the first Russian to win that tournament and the lowest seed to win the women's event at that time (though Venus Williams would be seeded lower on her championship wins in 2005 and 2007).
At the 2004 U.S. Open a few months later, she lost to French player and two-time Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce in the third round. During the tournament, Sharapova and several other Russian women tennis players wore a black ribbon in observance of the tragedy after the Beslan school hostage crisis which took place only a few days before. [9]
Sharapova continued her successful season by winning a title in Korea, defending her Tokyo title, and reaching her first Tier I final in Zurich. She ended 2004 with a victory at the season-ending WTA Championships, defeating an injured Serena Williams (4-6, 6-2, 6-4) after coming back from 0-4 in the final set.
Sharapova finished 2004 ranked fourth in the world and the second-ranked Russian (behind Anastasia Myskina). She won five titles during the year, trailing only Lindsay Davenport's seven, and equal to Justine Henin-Hardenne and Amelie Mauresmo. Sharapova also topped the prizewinnings list for the women that season.
2005: Consistency
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Maria_Sharapova_Indian_Wells_2005.jpg/250px-Maria_Sharapova_Indian_Wells_2005.jpg)
Sharapova started the year by reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open, where she lost to eventual champion Serena Williams 2-6, 7-5, 8-6, despite holding three match points in the match. In February, she won her first Tier I event in Tokyo, and followed this up with success in Doha.
After reaching the French Open quarterfinals for the second straight year (losing to eventual champion Justine Henin-Hardenne), Sharapova successfully defended her Birmingham title, defeating Jelena Janković in the final to extend her winning streak on grass to 17 matches. She then moved on to the task of defending her Wimbledon title where she reached the semifinals without losing a set, but then was well beaten by a rejuvenated Venus Williams, the eventual champion, 7-6, 6-1. Sharapova's 22-match streak on grass was ended, as was her quest to dethrone top-ranked Lindsay Davenport.
However, Davenport injured her back in the Wimbledon final, preventing her from defending the ranking points she obtained during the U.S. hard-court season of 2004. Sharapova had fewer points to defend and therefore rose to the No. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005, becoming the first Russian woman to hold the position. Her reign lasted only one week, however, as Davenport re-ascended to the top ranking after winning the title in New Haven.
As the top seed at the U.S. Open, Sharapova reached the semifinals, losing to eventual champion Kim Clijsters. This meant that she had lost to the eventual champion at all four Grand Slam events that year. Nevertheless, the points accumulated meant she once again leapfrogged Davenport to take the No. 1 ranking again on September 12, 2005. She kept the No. 1 ranking for six weeks before relinquishing it again to Davenport following the 2005 Zurich Open.
Sharapova failed to defend her title at the WTA Championships, losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Amelie Mauresmo, but she still finished the year ranked number four again, and as the top-ranked Russian for the first time. She won three titles during the year, and was the only player that year to make it to three Grand Slam semi-finals.
2006: A second major title
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Sharapova061021-01.jpg/200px-Sharapova061021-01.jpg)
Sharapova started the year by going out in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, losing to Justine Henin-Hardenne 4-6 6-1 6-4, the only match that year that Sharapova lost after winning the first set. She then won her first title of the year at the Tier I tournament in Indian Wells, before moving onto Miami, where she had the chance to become just the third woman in history to win the Indian Wells-Miami double, but lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final.
A serious ankle injury forced Sharapova to miss most of the clay court season, and as a result, she played at the 2006 French Open without having played any of the tune-ups. She was eliminated by Dinara Safina in the fourth round 7-5 2-6 7-5, after serving for the match twice. On grass, Sharapova failed to add a third consecutive Birmingham title to her collection, but was nevertheless considered the title favourite by many [10] at Wimbledon; however, she lost in the semifinals to world number one and eventual champion Amelie Mauresmo. It marked Sharapova’s fifth consecutive defeat in a Grand Slam semifinal.
Sharapova claimed her second title of the year in San Diego, where she defeated Kim Clijsters for the first time in the final. Coupled with a run to the semifinals in Los Angeles, she finished second in the U.S. Open Series standings that year.
Sharapova went into the U.S. Open seeded third after Clijsters dropped out with a wrist injury. She made the quarterfinals without dropping a set, before defeating Tatiana Golovin 7-6 7-6. She then defeated Mauresmo for the first time in the semifinals with a score of 6-0 4-6 6-0 to make her second Grand Slam final, before defeating number two Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4 6-4 in the final to collect her second Grand Slam title and join the list of eight players who had defeated the top two players en route to a Grand Slam title.
Sharapova collected two titles back-to-back in the indoors season: in Zurich and in Linz. She then moved onto the WTA Tour Championships, where she won all three of her round-robin matches (against Kim Clijsters, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova) in straight sets to extend her winning streak to 19 matches. However, she was then defeated in the semifinals by eventual champion Henin-Hardenne 6-2 7-6. She finished the year at number two and, for the second year, as the top Russian player. During the year, she won five titles (second only to Henin-Hardenne's six), including three Tier I titles, more than any other player.
2007: Mixed results
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Maria_Sharapova_2007_Australian_Open_R2.jpg/250px-Maria_Sharapova_2007_Australian_Open_R2.jpg)
As the top seed at the Australian Open (due to Justine Henin's withdrawal), Sharapova reached the final at the tournament for the first time, but then was crushed 6-1 6-2 by Serena Williams, ranked 81st at the time. However, Sharapova's run to the final allowed her to recapture the world number one spot, holding it for seven weeks before a fourth round loss at Indian Wells saw her hand the position back to Henin.
A shoulder injury would plague the majority of Sharapova's 2007 season, initially forcing her to miss most of the clay court season. She went into the French Open having played just one warm-up tournament (in Istanbul, where she reached the semifinals), but registered her best performance at the tournament to date, reaching the semifinals before losing 6-2 6-1 to Ana Ivanovic. She then moved onto the British grass season, and, after losing in the final at Birmingham, was defeated in the fourth round at Wimbledon by eventual champion Venus Williams 6-1 6-3.
After a short break due to her persistent shoulder problems, Sharapova claimed her first (and what would prove to be only) title of 2007 at the last ever edition of the Acura Classic in San Diego. A run to the semifinals in Los Angeles was enough for Sharapova to clinch the U.S. Open Series for the first time. Seeded second at the 2007 U.S. Open, Sharapova was placed in the more favorable bottom half of the draw, and as such, was widely expected to reach the final [11], but ultimately lost in the third round to 18-year-old Pole Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 1-6 6-2, her earliest exit at a Grand Slam in three years.
Due to yet another recurrence of the shoulder injury, Sharapova played just one match over the next two months, a defeat to Victoria Azarenka in Moscow. In October, Sharapova fell out of the top five on the rankings for the first time since 2004. Going into the 2007 WTA Tour Championships, she placed just ninth on the Race rankings, and was only awarded qualification to the tournament due to Venus Williams's withdrawal. However, Sharapova confounded expectations[12] by making the final at the tournament, with wins over Daniela Hantuchova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ana Ivanovic and Anna Chakvetadze en route. She then lost to Justine Henin 5-7 7-5 6-3, in a match lasting 3 hours, 24 minutes, the 12th longest women's match in the open era.
Sharapova ended the year as number five on the official WTA tour rankings, the fourth consecutive year that she finished in the top five. However, for the first time since 2004, she did not finish the year as the top ranked Russian. Kuznetsova, who finished World No. 2, held that honor. Sharapova also won just one title (at San Diego), the first time she had failed to win at least two titles since 2002 (when she played just three WTA matches).
2008: A third major title
Sharapova went into the 2008 Australian Open as the fifth seed, but as one of the favourites to take the title after her strong end-of-season showing. She reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set, where she then snapped world number one Justine Henin's 32-match winning streak with a 6-4, 6-0 victory, before reaching her second consecutive final in Melbourne and fourth Grand Slam final overall with a 6-3, 6-1 win over third seed Jelena Janković. She then defeated fourth seed Ana Ivanović 7-5, 6-3 in the finals, having dropped just 10 points on serve in the match [13], and thus becoming the first Russian woman to take this title, and marking the first time Sharapova had won a Grand Slam without dropping a set.
Personal life
The Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 compelled Sharapova's parents, Yuri and Yelena, to move from Gomel, Belarus, to the town of Nyagan in Siberia, Russia to live with Yelena's father.[14] Maria was born the following year.
Sharapova's father brought her to the United States when she was seven years old, to attend the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida.[15][16][17] Her mother, Yelena, could not come with them because of visa restrictions, and followed two years later.[14] Sharapova has lived in the United States since then, but retains her Russian citizenship.[17] She has a home in Manhattan Beach, California.[18]
Awards
- See: WTA Awards
- 2003
- Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Newcomer of the Year
2004
- WTA Player of the Year
- WTA Most Improved Player of the Year
- 2005
- ESPY Best Female Tennis Player
- Named the country's best female player for the year by Russia's tennis federation
- Master of Sports of Russia
- Prix de Citron Roland Garros
- 2006
- Named the country's best female player for the year by Russia's tennis federation
- Whirlpool 6th Sense Player of the Year
- 2007
- ESPY Best Female Tennis Player
- ESPY Best International Female Athlete
- ESPN Hottest Female Athlete
Endorsements
Sharapova's endorsements have earned her considerably more than she has won in tournament play. In June 2005, Forbes magazine listed her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of over US$18 million. (CBS, the American television network, reported in August 2006 that the figure is over US$20 million.) The majority is made from endorsements and sponsorships. In a later interview, she said, "You know, one of the greatest things about being an athlete and, you know, making money is realizing that you can help, you know, help the world, and especially children, who I absolutely love working with."[citation needed]
In 2005 during a photo shoot for Canon, a lewd photo was taken of Sharapova without her knowledge by Japanese advertising agency Dentsu. The company currently has a lawsuit related to this incident.[19]
Sharapova is visible in and outside of the court for her looks. Sharapova posed in a six-page bikini photoshoot spread in the 2006 issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, annual magazine that debuted on Valentine's Day, along with 25 scantily-clad supermodels. Sharapova joined the ranks of other athletes who have previously appeared in the publication. In April 2005, Sharapova was listed by People Magazine as among the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world.
In 2006, Maxim magazine named Sharapova the hottest athlete in the world for the fourth consecutive year.
On 14th January 2008 Maria Sharapova and Sony Ericsson signed exclusive four year sponsorship agreement for Maria Sharapova to become the company’s first global brand ambassador.[20]
In a poll run by Britain's FHM magazine, Sharapova was voted the seventh most eligible bachelorette.[21] Voting took into consideration both "wealth and looks."
Product endorsement and equipment
Sharapova's first racquet (before she entered the professional circuit) was one given to her by a family friend.
Sharapova used the Prince Tour Diablo for part of 2003 and then used several different Prince racquets until the U.S. Open. She gave the racquet she used in the 2004 Wimbledon final to Regis Philbin when taping Live with Regis and Kelly. Sharapova began using the Prince Shark MP at that tournament and had a major part in the production of the Shark racquet. She then switched to the Prince O3 White racquet in January 2006.[22]
She endorses Nike accessories, apparel, and footwear. She is well known for designing her tennis outfits, her most memorable being her 2006 nighttime US Open dress, inspired by Audrey Hepburn's look from Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Current Sponsors:
- Canon
- Colgate
- Gatorade
- Landrover
- Nike, Inc.
- Parlux Fragrances
- Prince Sports - signed a lifetime endorsement in 2007.
- Samantha Thavasa
- Sony Ericsson
- Tag Heuer
- Tropicana
Activism
On February 14, 2007, Sharapova was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and donated US$100,000 to UNDP Chernobyl-recovery projects. She is planning on traveling back to the area after Wimbledon in 2008.[citation needed]
Quotations
- When asked at the press conference after the 2006 U.S. Open final about her father's illegal signaling and feeding her during the match: I believe, at the end of the day, personally, my life is not about a banana.[23]
- When questioned about her on-court grunting at the 2006 Australian Open: I know this is your job. But take your notepads, take your pencils down, take your grunt-o-meters down, the fashion police, put it all away and just watch the match.[24]
- Reporter (after Sharapova won her second round at the 2007 French Open): So, do you feel when you get back on court after not hitting balls, do you actually feel stronger and faster as a result?
- Sharapova: No, I feel terrible. I feel like a cow on ice. Especially on clay.[25]
- I’ve been playing against older and stronger competition my whole life. It has made me a better tennis player and able to play against this kind of level despite their strength and experience.[26]
- When I was working my way to the top of tennis, I didn't say I was number two, I said I wanted to be number one.[27]
- A great tennis career is something that a 15-year-old normally doesn’t have. I hope my example helps other teens believe they can accomplish things they never thought possible.[28]
Grand Slam singles finals
Wins (3)
Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
2004 | Wimbledon | ![]() |
6-1, 6-4 |
2006 | U.S. Open | ![]() |
6-4, 6-4 |
2008 | Australian Open | ![]() |
7-5, 6-3 |
Runner-up (1)
Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
2007 | Australian Open | ![]() |
6-1, 6-2 |
WTA Tour Championships singles finals
Wins (1)
Year | Venue | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
2004 | Los Angeles | ![]() |
4-6, 6-2, 6-4 |
Runner Up (1)
Year | Venue | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
2007 | Madrid | ![]() |
5-7, 7-5, 6-3 |
WTA Tour titles (20)
Singles wins (17)
|
|
No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
1. | September 29, 2003 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | ![]() |
2-6, 6-2, 7-6(5) |
2. | October 27, 2003 | Quebec City, Canada | Hard (i) | ![]() |
6-2 retired |
3. | June 7, 2004 | Birmingham, United Kingdom | Grass | ![]() |
4-6, 6-2, 6-1 |
4. | June 21, 2004 | Wimbledon, United Kingdom | Grass | ![]() |
6-1, 6-4 |
5. | September 27, 2004 | Seoul, Korea | Hard | ![]() |
6-1, 6-1 |
6. | October 4, 2004 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | ![]() |
6-0, 6-1 |
7. | November 8, 2004 | WTA Championships, United States | Hard (i) | ![]() |
4-6, 6-2, 6-4 |
8. | February 6, 2005 | Tokyo, Japan | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
6-1, 3-6, 7-6(5) |
9. | February 21, 2005 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | ![]() |
4-6, 6-1, 6-4 |
10. | June 6, 2005 | Birmingham, United Kingdom | Grass | ![]() |
6-2, 4-6, 6-1 |
11. | March 18, 2006 | Indian Wells, United States | Hard | ![]() |
6-1, 6-2 |
12. | August 6, 2006 | San Diego, United States | Hard | ![]() |
7-5, 7-5 |
13. | September 9, 2006 | U.S. Open, United States | Hard | ![]() |
6-4, 6-4 |
14. | October 22, 2006 | Zürich, Switzerland | Hard (i) | ![]() |
6-1, 4-6, 6-3 |
15. | October 29, 2006 | Linz, Austria | Hard (i) | ![]() |
7-5, 6-2 |
16. | August 5, 2007 | San Diego, United States | Hard | ![]() |
6-2, 3-6, 6-0 |
17. | January 26, 2008 | Australian Open, Australia | Hard | ![]() |
7-5, 6-3 |
Doubles wins (3)
No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partnering | Opponents in the final | Score |
1. | September 29, 2003 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7-6(1), 6-0 |
2. | October 20, 2003 | Luxembourg, Luxembourg | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6-1, 6-4 |
3. | June 7, 2004 | Birmingham, United Kingdom | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6-2, 6-1 |
WTA Tour runner-ups (8)
Singles runner-ups (7)
Legend |
Grand Slam (1) |
WTA Championships (1) |
Tier I (3) |
Tier II (1) |
Tier III (1) |
Tier IV & V (0) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
1. | October 24, 2004 | Zurich, Switzerland | Hard | ![]() |
4-6, 6-2, 6-3 |
2. | March 3, 2005 | Miami, USA | Hard | ![]() |
6-3, 7-5 |
3. | February 26, 2006 | Dubai, UAE | Hard | ![]() |
7-5, 6-2 |
4. | March 2, 2006 | Miami, USA | Hard | ![]() |
6-4, 6-3 |
5. | January 29, 2007 | Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia | Hard | ![]() |
6-1, 6-2 |
6. | June 18, 2007 | Birmingham, UK | Grass | ![]() |
4-6, 6-3, 7-5 |
7. | November 11, 2007 | WTA Tour Championships, Madrid, Spain | Hard | ![]() |
5-7, 7-5, 6-3 |
Doubles runner-up (1)
No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partnering | Opponents in the final | Score |
1. | February 16, 2004 | Memphis, United States | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6-4, 7-6(0) |
ITF titles (4)
Singles (4)
No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
1. | April 21, 2002 | Gunma, Japan | Clay | ![]() |
6-4, 6-1 |
2. | August 4, 2002 | Vancouver, Canada | Hard | ![]() |
0-6, 6-3, 6-1 |
3. | September 15, 2002 | Peachtree City, U.S. | Hard | ![]() |
6-0, 6-1 |
4. | May 11, 2003 | Sea Island, U.S. | Clay | ![]() |
6-4, 6-3 |
Singles performance timeline
To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only once a tournament when the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. This table is current through the first round of Fed Cup, which ended on February 3, 2008.
Tournament | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | Career SR | Career Win-Loss |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Open | A | 1R | 3R | SF | SF | F | W | 1 / 6 | 28-5 |
French Open | A | 1R | QF | QF | 4R | SF | 0 / 5 | 19-5 | |
Wimbledon | A | 4R | W | SF | SF | 4R | 1 / 5 | 23-4 | |
U.S. Open | A | 2R | 3R | SF | W | 3R | 1 / 5 | 17-4 | |
Grand Slam SR | 0 / 0 | 0 / 4 | 1 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 1 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 1 / 1 | 3 / 21 | N/A |
Grand Slam Win-Loss | 0-0 | 10-4 | 15-3 | 19-4 | 20-3 | 16-4 | 7-0 | N/A | 87-18 |
Doha1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 / 0 | 0-0 | |
Indian Wells | 2R | 1R | 4R | SF | W | 4R | 1 / 6 | 15-5 | |
Miami | A | 1R | 4R | F | F | 4R | 0 / 5 | 14-5 | |
Charleston | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 1 | 2-1 | |
Berlin | A | A | 3R | QF | A | A | 0 / 2 | 4-2 | |
Rome | A | A | 3R | SF | A | A | 0 / 2 | 5-2 | |
Montréal/Toronto | A | 1R | 3R | A | A | A | 0 / 2 | 1-2 | |
Tokyo | A | A | 2R | W | SF | SF | 1 / 4 | 9-3 | |
Moscow | A | A | A | QF | QF | 2R | 0 / 3 | 2-2 | |
Zurich1 | A | A | F | A | W | A | - | 1 / 2 | 7-1 |
San Diego1 | - | - | QF | A | W | W | - | 2 / 3 | 12-1 |
WTA Tour Championships | A | A | W | SF | SF | F | 1 / 4 | 13-5 | |
Tournaments played | 2 | 14 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 1 | N/A | 80 |
Finals reached | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 1 | N/A | 24 |
Tournaments Won | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | N/A | 17 |
Hardcourt Win-Loss | 1-2 | 20-8 | 34-11 | 29-7 | 45-5 | 24-5 | 9-0 | N/A | 162-38 |
Clay Win-Loss | 0-0 | 5-2 | 8-3 | 9-3 | 3-1 | 7-2 | 0-0 | N/A | 32-11 |
Grass Win-Loss | 0-0 | 9-2 | 12-0 | 10-1 | 8-2 | 7-2 | 0-0 | N/A | 46-7 |
Carpet Win-Loss | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 5-1 | 3-1 | 2-2 | 0-0 | N/A | 11-5 |
Overall Win-Loss | 1-2 | 34-12 | 55-15 | 53-12 | 59-9 | 40-11 | 9-0 | N/A | 251-612 |
Year End Ranking | 186 | 32 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | N/A | N/A |
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
- = tournament was either not held or was not a Tier I event at the time it was held.
1Doha became a Tier I event in 2008. San Diego and Zurich are no longer Tier I events.
2If ITF women's circuit (Hardcourt: 22-4; Clay: 9-1) participation is included, then her overall win-loss record stands at 282-66.
WTA Tour career earnings
Year | Majors | WTA wins | Total wins | Earnings ($) | Money list rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 222,005 | 51 |
2004 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2,506,263 | 1 |
2005 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1,921,283 | 5 |
2006 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3,799,501 | 2 |
2007 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1,758,550 | 7 |
2008 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Notable matches
2004 Wimbledon final: defeated heavily-favored two-time defending champion Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4 to become the third youngest woman to win the title at the All England Club and the lowest seed (at the time) to do so.
2004 WTA Tour Championships final: defeated Serena Williams 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Sharapova came back from a 4-0 deficit in the third set and won her first WTA Championships trophy.
2005 Australian Open semifinal: defeated by eventual champion Serena Williams 2-6, 7-5, 8-6. Sharapova led 6-2, 5-4 before Williams rallied to win the second set. In the third set, Sharapova again carved out a lead and even held three match points, but Williams battled back once again to win the match.
2005 U.S. Open semifinal: defeated by eventual champion Kim Clijsters 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3. Sharapova was down 5-2 in the second set and one game away from defeat but fought back to claim the set. Sharapova wound up saving five match points; however, Clijsters won the match on her sixth match point.
2006 Miami semifinal: defeated Tatiana Golovin 6-3, 6-7(5), 4-3 retired. Sharapova had match points at 6-3, 5-1 but could not convert. The third set was close until Golovin was forced to retire after dramatically twisting her ankle. Some criticized Sharapova for turning her back on Golovin, but a television replay showed Sharapova turning her back before the fall. Sharapova later explained that she thought Golovin had simply cramped. When the Frenchwoman retired and was leaving the court, Sharapova gave her a round of applause along with the crowd to show her appreciation.
2006 San Diego final: defeated Clijsters 7-5, 7-5. This was Sharapova's first victory over the Belgian and her first title in San Diego. After this match, Sharapova lost just two more matches during 2006 and claimed three additional titles, including the U.S. Open.
2006 U.S. Open semifinal: defeated Amelie Mauresmo, the World No. 1, 6-0, 4-6, 6-0. This was the first U.S. Open semifinal with two 6-0 sets.[citation needed]
2006 U.S. Open final: defeated Justine Henin 6-4, 6-4 to win her second Grand Slam title. Sharapova beat Henin for only the second time in her career. This was only the eighth time in history that a player beat the world's top two ranked players in a Grand Slam event.[citation needed]
2007 French Open fourth round: defeated Patty Schnyder 3-6, 6-4, 9-7. Sharapova came into the tournament with an injury and overcame two match points against her during this match.
2007 WTA Tour Championships final: defeated by Henin 5-7, 7-5, 6-3. World No. 1 Henin was the pre-match favorite, but Sharapova took the first set on her eighth set point and at one stage in the second set, was a mere five points from victory. The match lasted 3 hours, 24 minutes, making it the 12th longest women's match in the open era.[citation needed] It was widely agreed as the best women's match of 2007,[citation needed] with some citing it as an all-time classic.[citation needed]
2008 Australian Open quarterfinal: defeated Henin 6-4, 6-0. Henin was the World No. 1, but Sharapova won her third victory in nine meetings with Henin. The win snapped Henin's 32-match winning streak and marked the first time Henin had suffered a "bagel" set since 2002. It also marked the first time since 2005 that Henin had lost in a Grand Slam tournament before the semifinals.
2008 Australian Open final: defeated Ana Ivanović 7-5, 6-3, to take her third Grand Slam title. Sharapova was the first Russian woman to take the title, and also, the first woman to take the title without dropping a set since Lindsay Davenport in 2000. This match is also notable for the fact that Sharapova dropped a mere 10 points on serve, and was broken just once.
References
- ^ a b "Players / Women / Profile Maria Sharapova - Russia".
- ^ Martin, John (September 7, 2006). "The Highest Paid Female Athlete On The Planet; Why Sharapova Is So Hot". ABC News. Retrieved 2006-09-07.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - ^ Maria Sharapova - Tennis Game Profile
- ^ Maria Sharapova - Tennis Game Profile
- ^ Why do women tennis stars grunt?
- ^ Maria Sharapova profile (Jan 2004)
- ^ Sharapova's chance to shine
- ^ Sharapova is tough nut to crack
- ^ Sharapova puts loss in perspective
- ^ Women to watch at Wimbledon (2006)
- ^ Henman handed tough US Open draw
- ^ Superb Henin retains Madrid title
- ^ Australian Open 2008 Final Statistics
- ^ a b Associated Press (2007-08-13). "Maria Sharapova plans 1st trip back to Chernobyl since family fled". International Herald Tribune.
- ^ "Maria Sharapova Inc". Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). 2008-01-20.
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(help) - ^ "Tennis academy where stars are born". British Broadcasting Corporation.
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(help) - ^ a b Dennis Campbell (2004-11-28). "Love match turns to hate as Russian stars attack Maria". The Guardian (United Kingdom).
- ^ Kathy Ehrich-Dowd (2006-04-17). "Celebrity Q & A - Maria Sharapova". People Magazine.
- ^ Ad agency sued over lewd picture of Maria Sharapova
- ^ >"Maria Sharapova and Sony Ericsson sign 4 year contract". Mobiles2day.com. Maria Sharapova and Sony Ericsson sign 4 year contract
- ^ "Rod's daughter most eligible". NEWS.COM.AU. February 28, 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-28.
- ^ Tennis Warehouse - Maria Sharapova
- ^ Tennis: At last, Sharapova proves it - she's not a 1-hit wonder
- ^ Beaten Sharapova turns on media
- ^ Maria Sharapova Official Site
- ^ Maria Sharapova quotes
- ^ Sharapova proves her worth
- ^ JockBio: Maria Sharapova Quotes
See also
External links
- Maria Sharapova's Official Site
- Maria Sharapova at the Women's Tennis Association
- Sharapova's record versus other players
- Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue: Maria Sharapova
- Maria Sharapova's Myspace page
- Sony Ericsson WTA Tour
- WTA Ranking Points